Risen Indeed
by bean21
Summary: "But He died-" Edmund began. "But He rose," Lucy countered.


Risen Indeed

The sounds of Lucy's steps rang through the empty stairway, accompanied by the faint noise of a large celebration going on somewhere below. The young queen raced up the stairs.

"Edmund!" she called once again. "Edmund!"

Breathing heavily she reached the top of the long and steep stairs. She paused a moment to catch her breath, then let out a groan hearing all the sounds of merriment far below.

"Where is he?" she wondered out loud. "Neither of us can enjoy the party if he's tucked away somewhere and I'm wandering around the whole castle looking for him!"

"Edmund!" she called again, more than a little frustrated with her older brother. She made her way down the hallway on the left, searching for a door.

"This must be the dustiest part of the whole castle!" she exclaimed, coughing. Finally, at the very end of the dark and dirty passage she saw a large wooden door. She knocked on it and shouted her brother's name, feeling more and more certain that no one could have been in this part of the castle since before the White Witch's reign.

She was about to turn away, quite tempted to give up her search all together, when the large door swung open. She was blinded by the sudden light that flooded the windowless passage.

"Lucy?"

It was Edmund's voice.

"Edmund?" she asked, squinting into the sunlight, trying to see her brother.

"Lu, what are you doing here?"

Gently taking her arm, Edmund led his little sister into the bright room and shut the door again.

"What are you doing here?" he asked again.

"What are _you_ doing here?!" she exclaimed.

When her eyes adjusted to the light she saw that she was in a giant room, furnished only with dust and a small couch that had been pushed in front of a huge window that took up the whole height of the wall and at least half the length of it. It was through this window that the sun shone so brightly.

"Lucy, you shouldn't have come up here-" Edmund began.

"Why ever not? We're all missing you at the party. You really should come down Edmund, it's the most spectacular thing I've ever seen! Even bigger than our coronation ceremony was! Almost every talking animal in all Narnia is here, along with the fauns and centaurs and..."

Lucy's voice faded. She noticed for the first time that Edmund's face was streaked where tears had fallen, and so full of grief it made her almost cry on the spot.

"No thank you, Lucy. I'd rather not go to the party," he answered softly.

"Ed what's wrong?" she asked quickly.

"Nothing," he answered hastily, moving over to the couch. "Go on back to the party, they'll be missing you."

But Lucy would not be so easily turned aside. She daintily picked up her skirts and sat down next to Edmund on the couch, putting on a show of being very "lady-like" and proper, resolving to stay there as long as it took. For a long time they sat there like that until Lucy could bear it no longer.

"Edmund, _something_ is wrong! You can tell me!" she burst out, completely throwing off her "proper" attitude.

"It's nothing, really," he answered.

"Don't lie to me, Ed! Come on, you should be happy! It's been a year since we defeated the White Witch. Everyone is happy! Why aren't you?"

This last question was asked so tenderly and full of compassion and concern that Edmund sighed and gave in to his younger sister.

"It's been a year since something else, Lucy," he said, barely above a whisper.

Suddenly Lucy's eyes filled with tears. "Oh Ed..." she whispered sorrowfully.

"I just can't stop thinking about it. This is the only window in the whole castle that you can see it out of."

Slowly Lucy turned her head away from her brother and looked out the huge window. Far away she could faintly see the hill where the stone table stood.

"I found this room right after I found out what He did for me," Edmund continued. "I just...I can't believe He died for me."

"Edmund, it's all right. I know He died for you but..."

"No, Lucy!" Edmund interrupted with such agony in his voice that the youngest queen was take aback. "He _died_ for me, do you understand? He physically _died_, because of what _I _had done! I was an idiot and a traitor, and I deserved to die on that table of stone, but He, who hadn't done anything wrong, died instead of me!"

Edmund broke down and sat there sobbing. Just then the door was pushed open and Susan stepped into the room, followed by Peter. Seeing Edmund Susan immediately rushed over to the couch, her long skirts swishing against the dusty floor. Without asking a single question Susan sank down onto the couch and held Edmund in her arms. The young king didn't even resist the slightest bit. In fact, that gentle and comforting embrace was the thing he needed most at that moment.

Lucy softly explained to Peter and Susan, the latter still holding Edmund. After Edmund had calmed down he slowly pulled out of Susan's embrace and looked at them all.

"Forgive me," he said softly. "It's just...it's just really hard, knowing that He died for me. I can't even imagine what they might have done to Him."

Lucy tried her hardest but she could not stifle a sob at the memory of the horrible things they _had_ done to Him, and knowing full well that He could have stopped it all at any time, yet hadn't out of love for Edmund, her brother.

Peter, who had been standing back a bit awkwardly, stepped forward.

"Listen Ed," he said so kindly that his siblings could only look at him, "I won't even pretend I can understand what you must be feeling, but I can imagine how I might feel if I were in your place. But, Edmund, you can't blame yourself. I think He had to do it. And I'm so glad He did. Because He did I still have my brother with me, the White Witch is defeated, and Narnia is at peace. And Ed, it isn't like His sacrifice was worthless."

"But He died-" Edmund began.

"But He _rose_," Lucy countered. "It's not like He's dead now."

"Lucy's right!" Susan said. "He came back to life. He did it for you, but the best part of it is that He rose! Never forget what He did do for you, but use it to remind yourself how you ought to live. And most importantly, never forget that He is alive now!"

"Let's all go down and celebrate Aslan's rising from the dead!" Lucy said, not able and not trying to hide her excitement.

"I think we should," Peter agreed. Susan nodded as well.

Edmund's grief filled face suddenly lightened, as if he had never thought of it all that way before.

"Let's go celebrate," Susan said softly, "because He is risen."

Edmund smiled at all his siblings, then said:

"He is risen indeed."

A/N- I wrote this for Easter '07, but it can be read any time. After all, He is risen all the time! :)


End file.
